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  1. #1
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    Default Spaceship Earth Revamp - Wonderful AND Woeful

    I can confirm that there *was* a soft opening today for Spaceship Earth! :-D

    Jamie just got off the phone with a friend of ours -- he had just gotten off and wanted to brag.

    I don't have a lot of details for you, but he noticed a line forming when he got in the park this morning, and just happened to get in at the right time -- they stopped allowing folks on just after he got in line.

    He says the audio-animatronics look great, the touch screens are "cool" (although they didn't work throughout his ride). The final scenes don't appear to be finished yet, but he did say there's a new 70's scene that looked awesome.

    If I get more info, I'll let ya know!
    Nigel
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  3. #2
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    Default

    From what I have seen so far, the first half of the ride is great with the right amount of new stuff but still keeping that old ride intact. The descent seems to be the thing that everyone is complaining about. All of the scene's before it and then you just look at the screen in front of you. There might be some curtains or something covering up a few effects on the descent so I'm assuming that they are still testing stuff at that part of the ride. The other thing seems to be that the ride is still as bumpy as ever. I hope now I can get to make a weekend trip up there sometime in January and see it for myself
    ŴĐŴ∫âňăŧĭć aka David șoș

  4. #3
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    Default

    Good friend of mine's reaction today...

    First half of the ride was great.

    The second half was junk. Just looking at a video screen that had an animation of yourself in the future that he wasn't all that impressed with.

    His quote was that they really blew it on the second half of the ride and hopefully they will add SOMETHING to the end of the ride interesting before February, otherwise this will be a disspointing rehab of a KEYSTONE attraction in Epcot.

    Honestly, I trust my friend enough and his opinion to tell you I am VERY concerned right now. Wish I hadn't had to fly out so early today or I would have gotten to ride myself.
    John - aka. The Master Control Program
    Owner, Chairman & Chief Imagination Officer - INTERCOT

  5. #4
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    Default

    BTW, here are some photos & video taken today of the new Spaceship Earth.

    http://intercot.com/themeparks/epcot...ry/default.asp
    Last edited by John; 12-10-2007 at 03:21 PM.
    John - aka. The Master Control Program
    Owner, Chairman & Chief Imagination Officer - INTERCOT

  6. #5
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    Default

    The only thing that is helping me think that this won't be so bad is that there are still over two more months before the official opening, so they have plenty of time before any real worrying should start.
    ŴĐŴ∫âňăŧĭć aka David șoș

  7. #6
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by WDWfanatic742 View Post
    The only thing that is helping me think that this won't be so bad is that there are still over two more months before the official opening, so they have plenty of time before any real worrying should start.
    I'd like to think that way as well, but at the point where they start sending the public thru, that means they are usually done with major items, which leaves me very concerned about your "return to earth" being so blank now.
    John - aka. The Master Control Program
    Owner, Chairman & Chief Imagination Officer - INTERCOT

  8. #7
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    Video and Photos of the new attraction can be found here:

    http://www.intercot.com/themeparks/e...ry/default.asp
    Last edited by John; 12-10-2007 at 03:41 PM.
    John - aka. The Master Control Program
    Owner, Chairman & Chief Imagination Officer - INTERCOT

  9. #8
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    Default

    I wouldn't be entirely disappointed if part of the decent back were in 'the dark' [no scenes]. My favorite part of the decent before the changes were the sections of all the dancing/changing lights. There was nothing in these 'rooms', but I always felt that the light with the music was so relaxing and awe-inspiring at the same time and yet all it was, was just light and music and black walls. I hope they still do this. Sometimes the simplest things, can have a lot of impact.

    Do the screens drowned out the surrounding areas at all with it's brightness?
    Born and raised in Kissimmee Florida!
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  10. #9
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    The end does seem a bit underwhelming!
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  11. #10
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    Words cannot express the disappointment that I missed this by ONE DAY
    But maybe it's better that I wait to see the finished product, because looking at the videos, I'm really nervous. I loved the old ride so much
    ~M.~

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  12. #11
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    Our Opinions:

    1) First 1/2 to 2/3 looks cool and is well done.
    2) Last 1/2 to 1/3 very poorly done.
    3) Decent was bad.

    NOTE: As mentioned, we are hoping that the remaining "rehab schedule" completes the last 1/3 and the decent. I can't imagine Siemens would allow a partially completed ride.
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  13. #12
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    Now I'm nervous to see the new version in person-I didn't really like what I saw of the ending on the videos! Thank goodness I bookmarked an online video of the old ride a few weeks ago. I miss the pre-rehab version already.

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  14. #13
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    Exclamation

    Agreed. The second half is a let down. Not very imaginative.

    After seeing the official Intercot page, this thread prompted me to build up a YouTube page of my favorites to share with Intercot. My channel name is "IcotFan". (EPCOT84 was not available)

    I am building up my favorites and playlists including the EPCOT Center of years past, including the discontinued SSE we all love. I am adding in my favorite videos of all the parks. I put the URL in my profile.

    I'll try to keep only good videos and subscriptions, to what I consider clean channels by Intercot and Disney standards .
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  15. #14
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    I really hope that Disney is opening SSE so they can increase capacity in the park for the holiday season. If that's the real end, there goes another legendary ride.

    Something tells me though, they are going to cheap out yet again. I'm feeling a little deja vu...

  16. #15
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    After seeing the official Intercot page, this thread prompted me to build up a YouTube page of my favorites to share with Intercot. My channel name is "IcotFan". (EPCOT84 was not available)

    I am building up my favorites and playlists including the EPCOT Center of years past, including the discontinued SSE we all love. I am adding in my favorite videos of all the parks. I put the URL in my profile.

    I'll try to keep only good videos and subscriptions, to what I consider clean channels by Intercot and Disney standards .
    Wow thanks EPCOT84!

    It really is a maze on Youtube finding some good movies from DLR, WDW and DLRP so this would be great!
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  17. #16
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    While outdated most of the time, the descent used to at least give us a somewhat realistic attempt at foretelling what our future might look like. Now it's just ... the Jetsons.

    Seriously?

    Thankfully, the ascent has always been my favorite part and that appears to be intact or improved for the most part. I don't really care for the new narration - not so much the voice, but the script. I prefer the more "storytelling" style that the Jeremy Irons version had to the more conversational style that Judi Dench is given ("remember how easy it was to learn your ABC's?")
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  18. #17
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    Default I rode Spaceship Earth twice yesterday!

    And flew home today. For those who don't want to know too much - WARNING - Spoilers Ahead!

    I am not overly impressed with the new show. Actually, the beginning is fantastic, but the second half is terrible, in my opinion. So if you average and A and a D, you get a B- or C+?

    The first part is basically the same, with enhanced audioanimatronics and a pretty good new script. Most of the scenes are the same or similar until the last part just before you see Earth - what used to be the Japanese House is now the garage that the first PC was invented in (was that Steve Jobs??)

    After a fantastic beginning, however, it just fizzles. Maybe it's not completed yet, but there was no song (what happened to "Tomorrow's Child" being brought back?) and no sets at all. You just stare at your individual computer screen, answer some questions about your preferences, and then see a Jetsons-type cartoon, based on how you answered your questions. I was extremely disappointed - they used to have great music on the way down (so what if the sets were a bit hokey?) Now all you see is black cloth and your computer screen. It's almost like they ran out of money and didn't quite finish the show.

    I asked the Cast Members who were in the post show if the ride was finished - basically I got non-answers. I asked them what would take another 3 months if it was finished? Again, I was just told to go to Guest Relations if I had any comments. Unfortunately, the lines were always too long. Maybe I'll send them an e-mail.

    In short - fantastic start - lousy finish. Most of the other people I spoke to upon exiting thought the same thing. (And one CM admitted he was hearing that too.) So, maybe they'll fix it? I hope someone from Disney is reading this. And I can't wait to hear some other impressions.

    By the way, I went to MouseFest yesterday afternoon and spoke to John Y for a few minutes. It was great to see him again.

  19. #18
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    I saw it twice yesterday - and I concur with what everyone else is saying - the ending leaves much to be desired. I wrote a little bit more about it on the Theme Parks page.

  20. #19
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    Black cloth doesn't sound completed to me. I know the video screens are supposed to be a big addition, but I didn't think they would come at the expense of everything after the Earth.

    You never know, though...
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  21. #20
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    pleeese dont let it be bad.
    i have a friend who just got there last night & tipped him off about the soft opening. he hasnt been there in about 4 yrs so seeing some of the new things since then. hes going to Epcot tomorrow & will be checking for it.
    lets hope the ending gets some more work
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